Thursday, October 31, 2013

When I went to my children’s school open house this year right before the start of school, one of my sons’ teachers recommended that we purchase a computer program that would teach our kids how to touch-type. She said that future standardized tests were going to be given on the computer, and those students who couldn’t type quickly might run out of time to take the tests! How sad if they were to do poorly simply because they couldn’t submit their answers quickly enough. So, I bought a typing program for my kids, and I was even more thrilled when I saw that Bright Star Kids offers Learn to Type Labels!

These high-quality vinyl labels are placed on top of the keys to make them more visible and easy to distinguish from the others. I love how the labels on the “home keys” where the fingers should be placed for touch-typing have a white background so children always know where to position their hands. There are also labels for the numbers and supporting keys, such as Ctrl, Alt, Enter, etc. There is even a second set of numbers for the number pad. Each label is easy to place on each key and comes with an additional clear label to stick over the top for extra durability. If you decide to peel off the labels, they don’t leave a sticky residue. I accidentally put a sticker on the wrong key, and it was easy to peel and left no stickiness behind.

Check out my kids’ new colorful keyboard above! These labels, along with the typing program I purchased, will make ideal teaching tools for helping my kids to learn how to touch-type. This will definitely give them an advantage in taking computerized tests at school.

In addition to the Learn to Type Labels, Bright Star Kids has a HUGE selection of personalized Name Labels, like those shown below.

They also have adorable personalized clothing for kids and babies:

In addition, Bright Star Kids offers personalized wall art, lunch bags, drink bottles, and so much more! I encourage you to check out their wonderful products at www.brightstarkids.com.au/. Their items make unique and fun gifts for the holidays! And this Australian company ships their Name Labels for free to the United States. Visit them through the links below.

Bronto is an Apatosaurus who discovers a nest of untended blue eggs in a tree. He places leaves over them to keep them warm until the momma dino bird comes back, but she fails to return by nightfall. Bronto falls asleep with his head on the eggs to continue to warm them. The next morning, he put leaves on the eggs again and sets off to find their mother. When he hears the rumbling of a volcano, he returns to the nest and lowers it to the ground. He places the eggs in a hole in the ground and covers them with dirt to protect them as the volcano begins to erupt. Bronto runs away to safety. The lava scorches the land and all the dinosaurs flee. But one day the dry earth begins to crack, and out pops the pterodactyl babies! They fly away in search of new land. Bronto has saved them!

Check out the lovely book trailer below:

Bronto, Friend of Ceratops

Bronto returns in this sequel as the only surviving Apatosaurus after the volcanic eruption. Bronto has fled to the hills with other Sauropods, and he falls asleep. He is awakened by the sound of lightning as it strikes the forest below where his Ceratops friends have taken cover. As fires spring up, Bronto realizes he must warn them. When he reaches his friends in the forest, he finds that Tyron, a T. rex, has cornered the Ceratops near a cliff wall. Bronto warns everyone of the fire as his friend Arbol shows up to help Bronto after hearing his distress call. The T. rex realizes he is no match for large Bronto and Arbol, and he takes off. The Ceratops herd, Bronto and Arbol head for the river just as the fire erupts around them. They ride the current to a safe place where the fire can’t reach them. Once again, Bronto is a hero.

Both of these hardcover books feature beautiful watercolor and ink illustrations by artist and writer Charlotte Vivian Rodenberg, as you can see above. They teach children about how dinosaurs lived, as well as about friendship and helping others in need. These books make wonderful gifts for young dinosaur fans!

One lucky winner will receive hardcover copies of both Bronto & the Pterodactyl Eggs and Bronto, Friend of Ceratops, by Charlotte Vivian Rodenberg, plus an adorable plush dinosaur! (Prize shown above. Retail value of $42!) This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will end at 11:59 PM ET on Tuesday, November, 12, 2013. Enter through the Rafflecopter form below.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Welcome to the Super Saturday Giveaway Linky ~ Halloween Edition! We're finally getting some cooler weather here in south Florida, so it's beginning to feel a bit like fall. I hope you're enjoying the season and that you have a fun Halloween! Let's celebrate the holiday by entering some giveaways. Check out my list of current giveaways in the right sidebar, as well as those listed below. And if you're hosting a giveaway, be sure to share it with us in the linky and promote this page to all of your Twitter and Facebook fans. Happy Halloween!

As I’m sure you know (as evidenced by all of the pink things around us), October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Many families have been impacted by breast cancer, and I love that many companies are donating a share of their profits to help fight this disease. One such company is the Coffee Beanery. For each pound sold of their new cake-flavored coffees, they’ll donate $1 to the Pink Fund, an organization that provides financial support to people in active treatment of breast cancer. In addition, the Coffee Beanery is matching this donation, which means they'll contribute $2 total per pound sold of these coffees!

Their delicious new cake-flavored coffees come in four varieties:

Strawberry Cheesecake

Red Velvet Cake

Birthday Cake

Black Forest Cake

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to sample these wonderful new coffees, and they are absolutely scrumptious! They all have a smooth, decadent flavor. I feel like I’ve visited a fancy coffeehouse after drinking them. So, when you pick up these coffees from Coffee Beanery, you get a double reward: delicious coffee and support of the Pink Fund! Hurry over to www.coffeebeanery.com to order before this offer is over!

GIVEAWAY

One lucky winner will receive one pound each of Coffee Beanery’s four new cake-flavored coffees. (Yes, that's four pounds of coffee!) Enter through the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and ends at 11:59 PM ET on Friday, November 8, 2013.

I’ve got another amazing deal for you from Shutterfly! Now you can order their beautiful photobooks, calendars, holiday cards, personalized gifts and more at 40% off! These items make great holiday gifts. Grandparents, godparents, aunts and uncles love them!

Offer expires October 28, 2013 (11:59 P.M. PT). Offer is good for 40% off qualifying merchandise orders at shutterfly.com. Taxes, shipping and handling will apply. Not valid on prepaid plans, gift certificates, videograms, cards sent using mailing services, prior purchases, orders placed for in-store pick up, purchases made on the Shutterfly iPhone, iPad, Android and Photo Story apps or Shutterfly Pro Galleries. Cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with other offers or credits. Not valid for resale.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Ever wonder when rubber tires were first put on cars? Or when air conditioning was first used? This very cute animated video from Kia shows when some of the best features in our cars, from a rearview mirror to the GPS, first appeared! Check it out below. Share it with your kids ... they'll get a kick out of it!

I love sandwiches, but let’s face it: Sometimes they can get a little bland. Mayo or mustard help jazz them up a little bit, but when you’re looking for something to really give your sandwiches a flavor kick, I recommend Hidden Valley Sandwich Spreads & Dips! Not only do they taste amazing, but they are low-fat with one-third the calories of mayonnaise and only two grams of fat per serving.

Hidden Valley Sandwich Spreads & Dips come in four flavors:

Country Herb Ranch

Oven Roasted Garlic Parmesan

Smoked Bacon Ranch

Spicy Chipotle Pepper

Our family had the opportunity to try out the Oven Roasted Garlic Parmesan and the Spicy Chipotle Pepper. Both were fantastic and extremely flavorful. The Spicy Chipotle Pepper was especially good for livening up a bland turkey or ham sandwich. This was my husband’s favorite. It was a little overpowering as a dip, but I think it would be perfect for dipping if mixed with some sour cream. The Oven Roasted Garlic Parmesan worked great as a dip (with chips or veggies) and as a sandwich spread. We could definitely taste the real garlic pieces. If you’re a fan of garlic, you’ll give this spread a huge thumbs-up.

Here are more tips from Hidden Valley for spicing up your sandwiches!

Think beyond white bread: Spice-up fixings between two pretzels, tortas or even ramen noodle buns to give run-of-the-mill white or wheat a break.

Say no to Mayo: Mayonnaise is an easy, but basic, go-to. Next-level sandwiches need next-level spreads. Hidden Valley Sandwich Spreads in Bacon Ranch, Spicy Chipotle and Parmesan ensure that your chicken club, stuffed pita or grilled cheese is anything but ordinary. Not to mention, they are low fat with one-third the calories of mayonnaise and only two grams of fat per serving to boot! Check out www.hiddenvalley.com/sandwiches for more ideas and recipes.

Embrace Open-Face: Have access to a toaster oven? Load toppings on each slice of bread with the cheese on the top, pop the two sides into the toaster-oven, hit “toast” and watch the sandwich supernova unfold.

Spread the Sandwich Love: Take the time to spread the sandwich love to a co-worker or friend. While you’re constructing your own epic lunch, just double your recipe. A simple task that will have them smiling from crust to crust!

Party Perfect Every Time: Be the talk of the town over Labor Day by making these Smoky Sliders with Smoked Bacon Ranch spread for everyone’s enjoyment. Easy to make and a total crowd-pleaser, you’ll be invited to every soiree hereafter.

The holiday season is almost here. If you’ll be entertaining, a platter or table full of festive sandwiches made with Hidden Valley Sandwich Spreads & Dips would be perfect to serve! Learn more at www.HiddenValley.com and find more delicious recipes for your holiday parties or family meals at www.hiddenvalley.com/recipe/.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

We save just about all leftovers at our house. Whatever doesn’t get eaten for dinner goes in a container in the fridge for another dinner or lunch the next day. So, you can imagine that we’ve amassed quite a container collection! The problem with having so many containers is that it’s often a challenge to figure out which lids go on which containers. Thankfully, GLAD has made that job so much easier with their new MatchWare! These containers not only feature cute designs in amethyst, sapphire and emerald colors, but they also have color-coded lids so you can quickly grab the perfect top. No more digging through lids trying to figure out which one you need!

Like all of their products, GLAD MatchWare containers are BPA-free and can be used over and over again. They’re dishwasher- and microwave-safe. They’re also stackable to maximize the use of space in your fridge. The selection includes:

GLAD MatchWare Square

The square containers come in a pack of 4 and feature amethyst-colored lids and designs. Available in 25-ounce and 42-ounce sizes.

GLAD MatchWare Round

The round containers come in a pack of 4 and feature emerald-colored lids and designs. Available in 16-ounce and 32-ounce sizes.

GLAD MatchWare Rectangles

The rectangle containers come in a pack of 4 and feature sapphire-colored lids and designs. Available in 32-ounce and 64-ounce sizes.

Did you know that 40% of the world’s food goes uneaten? Let’s lower that statistic by saving and eating our leftover food. GLAD MatchWare containers make it fun and easy. You’ll stay organized and create less waste. Visit www.Glad.com for more information and look for GLAD MatchWare at your local store.